An Assessment of the National Science Foundation's Science and Technology Centers Program (1996)

A

The Center has assembled an impressive group of scientists and students to pursue the stated goals of [the center]. The Site Visit Panel (SVP) finds that the group is highly qualified to carry out the proposed research program. It has the breadth and expertise necessary to address critical questions relative to [the center's specialty]. Recent [center] activities have galvanized interactions among individuals at [the] participating institutions. The Director has demonstrated extraordinary capabilities for organizing and leading the [center] team. The entire team is highly motivated and extremely dedicated to the goals of the center.

The SVP strongly recommends without any reservations that the [center] program be supported at the level requested.

B

The Center approach to this problem is proving to be effective by fostering cooperation between disciplinary groups which attack the same scientific problem from different, complementary directions. An example of this synergy occurred in response to [an incident] where participants in the [center] mounted an effective field effort. They made several significant discoveries which will result in a new paradigm for evaluating [the center's specialty].

The site review unanimously recommends that the [center] be awarded full support as requested with no significant reservations.

C

The site visit team is very satisfied with the way the Center has responded to concerns expressed in the last site visit report. The team members are also impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the Center members.

The concern raised in the [previous] site visit report dated . . . , was the need for more emphasis on research [in a subject area] and the adoption of the research approach in studying the physical phenomenon. . . . Our observation is that the Center has effectively implemented the suggested approach and developed new projects addressing [the subject area].

D

In summary, the Center is an effective national Science and Technology Center that is conducting world-class research. . . : [the center] has contributed significantly to the growing use of [the center' s technology]; and [the center] programs have had a meaningful impact on K-12 and undergraduate education, with substantial involvement of women and underrepresented minorities.

E

The Center is conducting exciting research that has significant strategic value.

The Center was criticized in past site visits as lacking a strategic plan and supporting little collaborative work. To the credit of the participants, they have responded to this criticism and are embarking on many new collaborative projects. This progress shows that there is clear value added by being an STC. However, more effort needs to be expended by the STC leadership to articulating the goals of the STC, to formulating a stronger strategic plan, and to prioritizing projects within the context of this plan.

F

The following report on the site visit, which generally confirmed and reinforced this enthusiastic reaction to the proposal, includes some minor criticism that do not affect the overall highly positive response of the site visitors. We strongly recommend that the renewal proposal be approved.

The renewal proposal articulates a bold and ambitious vision of [the center's subject area] as a strong interdisciplinary approach to the [center's] sciences. . . . The faculty are an

outstanding group of distinguished scientists. The ongoing and proposed research is of excellent quality, although some areas have not been fully developed as yet. The educational component is strong and diverse. Linkages to industry and governmental organizations are many, as are academic contacts. The added value of the STC is impressive in all the areas mentioned. Weaknesses include the slow development of interdisciplinary research and education in [one of the disciplines] and between that [subject area] and [others]. However, this imbalance has begun to be rectified and will be given attention in the future. A final weakness is the lack of space and the postponement of new space allocations. None of these weaknesses reduce the enthusiasm of our recommendation for renewal of this grant.

G

Not only would this type of inherently risky and long-term venture would be unlikely to be supported through traditional investigator-initiated grant programs, but it also requires the synergistic efforts of a group of scientists to succeed.

In general, the Site Visit Team felt that the Center was moving in the right direction, and that weaknesses would be overcome as the Center matures.

H

The Site Visit Panel commends the performance of [center] scientists during the first half of the project and recommends without reservation the continuation of the Center.

The Center Mode of Support for [this center] has allowed for the development, starting from scratch, of a [new] system built with extensive collaboration between . . . scientists [in one field] and [another] using state-of-the-art . . . technology. The long term support enabled the careful consideration and unprecedented documentation of [the science] which would not be possible in the more normal research environment of short term funding. This newly developed tool has risen to a state of prominence equal and, in some cases higher, than other . . . systems developed over the period of decades by virtue of its user friendliness and . . .

In order to ensure the greatest probability for the success of the project, the Site Visit Panel recommends that, during the remaining five years. [The center] should adjust their mix of personnel to reflect a greater percentage of full time research associates and post-doctoral employees.

I

An independent review team should be sent to [the center] facilities to examine the prospects for completion of the current project.

The STC team at . . . needs to bring on a strong competent “executive science officer” to be the day-to-day front-end for the program with, initially, a strong focus on ensuring timely completion of the [device].

J

As emphasized earlier in the report, the visitor remain impressed by the excellence of the center's activities. For that reason, we unequivocally RECOMMEND continuation of the center for the entire remainder for the 11 year term.

The previous site visit report emphasizes the need for feedback and evaluation of operations and programs. Little progress was made. Management believes evaluation is too costly and would serve little purpose. This will make it difficult, if not impossible, to convince funding sources beyond NSF to support [the center]. Little has changed in the evaluation of [the center] workshops. They may or may not be evaluated through participant questionnaires. Yet both last year and this, with regard to workshops, members of the site visit team heard positive anecdotes from attendees, but also anecdotes on the lack of scientific

communication and disorganized local arrangements. Lack of uniform and objective feedback will prevent the center from improving its product.

Unfortunately, these two steps will leave the center far removed from where it should be at this point. The emerging leadership is handicapped by lack of a plan a list of specific long-term [the center] goals. These elements are needed to define the center and establish its continued existence. The management team has not yet made adequate progress in articulating specific goals and focusing the center' s mission towards them.

K

This center is unique.

Nowhere else in the U.S. is there a research Center of this size and productivity focusing on [this subject].

The site visit team is very impressed with the Center's technical, educational and outreach achievements and planned activities. The site team is particularly impressed with the leadership and the management, and [the center's] successful coordination of [several] universities into a synergistic, highly interactive Center.

The site team strongly recommends renewal for a five year period at the requested level.

L

The site visit has convinced us that the STC is working well. In general, their research remains world-class. Their industrial and educational outreach activities are features which could not be achieved in small group settings. Center researchers remain optimistic and energetic, at a time when individual investigators are having a hard time sustaining programs in [the center's subject area].

Does the center mode of funding provide added value? For the STCs the answer is certainly yes and it was clear from talking to the students that the ties between institutions that were generated by the center were in a large number of cases crucial to the success of the individual student and postdoc projects.

We feel that the center mode is working for the STCs and has provided an institution that is in many respects better than the sum of its parts.

M

The site visit team is very favorably impressed with the sum total of [the center's] accomplishments in all categories described above. Their use of the full spectrum of techniques to attack important questions materials has demonstrably put them in a leading position that is recognized world-wide. The published and in-progress results are impressive, and their proposal builds intelligently on the base of their accomplishments, while also describing a number of important initiatives. In sum, what we have read in the [center] proposal (and in its mail reviews) and what we have heard and seen during our site visit allow us to confidently predict that the science and technological developments coming from this group over the next few years will have a profound impact on our understanding.

N

It is the sense of the site review team that [the center] is performing fully as intended, and represents an outstanding example of what a Science and Technology Center was designed to be.

[The center] is truly an interactive, collaborative and collegial group of researchers who are focused on a broad research objective, rather than a collection of independent and uncommunicative projects. We recommend that the center be renewed for the full 5 year term at an increased level of funding.

O

The overall impression of the review team is that this center is not only working well, but as Science and Technology Centers (STCs) were intended to work. It is clearly accomplishing more in concert than could ever have been done by individual principal investigators.

We strongly recommend funding at the level requested.

P

The Center has successfully brought together a diverse group of very talented scientists to address the [center's subject area] in a broad and coherent way. The scientific projects funded by the Center are of the highest caliber and have already produced two very important results.

Q

We strongly recommend support as requested, i.e. full approval without reservations. The Center is of great value to [its scientific] community and its progress to date is excellent.

R

We strongly recommend that NSF increase funding levels in the second five-year period commensurate with expansion and enhancement of [the center's] scientific programs.

The facilities of the Center are very efficiently utilized by a large number of highly interactive researchers and industrial users. We therefore conclude that NSF funds are extremely well utilized at [the center].

S

The site visitors are convinced that the core funding and stability provided by the STC have been critical to the development of a vibrant and innovative research program with impact extending far beyond the center itself.

Overall, the site visit committee found this to be an outstanding STC. This center is setting an example of how we may do science as we enter the twenty first century.

T

The generation of new ideas through discussions and interactions between the multidisciplinary participants at [the center] was strongly evident to the site visit team. The extensive critical evaluation of all research projects by an interested group of peers and interacting cooperators from many different disciplines was viewed by students, postdocs and PIs alike as a strong benefit not found in University departments.

U

Support for the center has had a significant impact on both the organization of research effort and contributions made by the investigators. While some research activities were not viewed as having an impact on a level that would be expected for a center of excellence in this area, other activities clearly are at a center level and would not have been developed without the center mode of funding.

The [center] has done an exemplary job in the areas of educational outreach, industrial outreach, and leveraging NSF funds both from the University, state and industrial sources. However, the ultimate success of an NSF S&T Center cannot be based on budget and outreach alone but must include the strength, innovation and leadership aspects of its research program. It is in these areas that the site visit team feels the performance of the [center] needs to be strengthened.

V

It is the opinion of the site-visit team that the STC has evolved into a unique Center for the advancement of science and technology of [its subject area] by establishing an integrated program. The STC has also integrated successfully both the educational and knowledge-transfer missions with the research programs.

After consideration of all factors presented to us, the site-visit team recommends without reservation funding of this outstanding program as requested for the seventh through the eleventh years of operation.

W

We have no doubt that the center mode of support is justified here. The Center has concentrated its activities in areas that would be unlikely to thrive in traditional academic departments, and involves teams with members coming and going.

X

The center is clearly an excellent national resource for the fundamental study of [its subject area]. Strong and growing interdisciplinary interactions involving first-rate faculty characterize a well equipped, well planned and well managed effort with potential technological impact. The Center provides a unique environment for research and education, with major value-added to both the nature and quality of the research possible as well as to the [university's scientific specialty] community. Outreach programs to minority institutions are excellent. The only area of concern is the rather modest array of linkages to the private sector which have been forged so far. More input from and collaboration with industry would enrich the center research program and increase its impact on the private sector. The Committee recommends support as requested with the confidence that the excellent caliber of the participants, research, and management will ensure that the needed links to industry will be forged.

Y

All research projects undertaken within the Center are collaborative in nature, with at least one PI from industry and one from academia. This brings to each project investigators with different expertise, focus, and perspective. One of the criteria for Center support is that the proposed research not be suited to conventional investigator support.

The thrust group structure of the Center brings together in a unifying theme excellent academic and industrial scientists to carry out timely interdisciplinary research projects in a manner that no single research group could readily achieve.

The Center fully and admirably satisfies the NSF program goals for such an organization.

A

During the first three years of the Center's development, the planning and execution of a major field experiment played a critical role in focusing research activities on important interdisciplinary problems.

The SVP recommends that [the center] strengthen the linkages between [one of] its components and other large field programs. Specifically, the SVP would like to see [the center] broaden its interaction with the [related communities] so that the future campaigns can be leveraged by [the center's] scientists.

The educational and outreach activities of [the center] take place primarily through the association with [the university]. This activity is excellent and it plays a crucial role in the education of K-12 teachers and, indirectly through the teachers, a very large number of primary and secondary school students.

The SVP met with a group of about 20 postdocs, graduate students and one undergraduate. It is clear that they are all very enthusiastic about [the center]. They feel that [the center] offers them an exceptional research experience because of their close interactions with the scientists in [the center] and because of the exceptional quality and diversity of the group. In many respects the postdocs and students serve as effective bridges across the various areas of expertise in [the center].

B

Research is generally well-focused and effective in meeting center goals. The center also supports, at modest levels, high risk / high potential research. The visit team encourages the management to continue its current process of evaluation of research results to ensure that such research is directed towards center goals.

[The center] has demonstrated that it is an effective mechanism for coordinating research and promoting the exchange of ideas among productive university researchers. The program of visiting scientists provides a further link to the national and international scientific communities.

The primary tie at the national level is with [a federal agency]. The primary relation to the private industrial sector is through the participation of [several] companies as investigators. Center products will impact several industries. It is desirable that the Center establish links with these industries. Progress in this direction appears imminent, because ties are being established with a number of organizations related to engineering applications which were described during the site visit.

With respect to education, a group of 45 bright and enthusiastic graduate students are now working on research under the aegis of [the center]; their contribution to the research productivity of the Center is evident.

Significant efforts have been made to develop materials for public information.

Due to funding shortages in the first two years, a conscious decision was made not to implement the K-12 [center specialty] program.

In summary, the Site Visit Committee is satisfied by the progress [the center] has made in the broad area of outreach, and it is encouraged that grades K-12 and undergraduate education will now become a high priority program.

C

The center is very productive and the intrinsic merit of the research produced is of high quality.

The [center] has demonstrated success and continued expansion of the Industrial Outreach Program during the last year.

The Industrial Affiliates Program has demonstrated a conscious effort to disseminate research results through technical meetings, annual reports, research project summaries, technology transfer days, product/ process development fact sheets, collaborative research projects, and student and faculty exchanges. Participants in the IAP and visiting scientists have provided an international perspective on both the world-wide industrial needs and the current level of fundamental knowledge in the field of [the center].

While the committee is impressed with how much has been accomplished, it feels it appropriate to comment that it will be necessary throughout the term of the [center] grant that a balance be struck between education and research. We encourage the [center] faculty and staff to continuously evaluate the educational activities with the objective of maintaining congruence with the research program.

D

The research projects are of top quality, the researchers are first-rate, the education and outreach programs are extensive and impressive, and the Center is well managed. Hence, we recommend that the proposal be supported as requested. However, we believe that the impact of the Center in the next five years would be enhanced by greater integration of the research.

The most visible results of the research are the standardization efforts. This work is excellent value-added from the Center. We suspect that it would not have happened without Center support; it should be continued.

[The center] has created productive informal linkages to colleagues and projects in academic institutions, government laboratories, and industry. In particular, strong connections have been built between work and the [related] industry; industrial ties have been actively sought, especially in recent years.

In the academic affiliates program, the committee suggests that more structure is needed and that criteria for membership should be developed.

The committee believes that, to couple [the center's] research results more effectively to industry and government applications, an exchange of personnel is needed.

The postdoc, graduate, and undergraduate education programs for women and underrepresented minority students are excellent.

The outreach programs of [the center] to grades K-12 and to the community are outstanding.

E

The current report and the site visit reaffirmed that research conducted at the Center is exceptional.

Overall the team feels that to date the Center has not adequately reached out beyond itself to academic and non-academic sectors. Increasing these efforts should be a major goal in the coming years.

The Center's graduate program is very strong, with a large number of students being involved and graduated both at Masters and Ph.D. levels. Their students find ready employment in industrial positions, in established corporations and in high-tech starts-up, as well as in academia.

The summer programs are innovative mechanism for reaching high school students. Although Center members are participating in a number of programs, it is still unclear what formal support they are receiving from the center and whether there are centerwide goals for these activities. It is also unclear which of these programs would not be taking place without the Center.

F

The principal researchers involved in each component field are world leaders who guide and influence the research directions of their field.

Overall, there is strong evidence that the STC has added value to the research accomplishments of this group, by encouraging joint projects and by establishing an environment that has attracted new faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, students, and visitors, all of whom have contributed to the research programs. It is clear that many of the projects have been shaped or influenced by the interdisciplinary environment, and that new areas of research have opened up.

The ongoing and proposed research is of excellent quality, although some areas have not been fully developed as yet.

Weaknesses include the slow development of interdisciplinary research and education in [some] components and between that component and [other areas].

An institute dedicated to such an esoteric topic as [this center's] science [specialty] might not be expected to deliver practical products that are useful in the real world. The situation in the current case is quite the contrary, and in fact a multitude of interactions with industry and government are leading to saleable products and substantial information exchange.

Many industrial interactions have been more along the lines of joint research.

The Center has developed two excellent interdisciplinary undergraduate programs to which undergraduate students have responded with increasing enrollment.

Research topics of graduate students at the Center are all interdisciplinary in nature. Students showed enthusiasm for the cross-disciplinary opportunities that the Center provides.

The Center has been energetic in its outreach programs. The program for K-12 is being actively pursued.

The educational program is strong and diverse.

G

The research mission of the Center, while initially ill-defined, has in the second and third years of the Center coalesced into a major hub project.

While the various component projects were not always clearly or closely interrelated, the individual aims of the majority of these projects address important problems in [the center's scientific area].

The Center has made significant efforts to make links to industry. Unfortunately efforts to date have not been very successful. The main focus of the Center does not lend itself well to interaction with industry, and thus it is difficult for the center to make linkages.

The unanimous opinion of the Site Visit Review Team was that the Center's efforts in the area of education and outreach have been outstanding. Particularly impressive is the success of the High School Teacher's Program.

H

Since the development of a [full-scale] system is extremely complex, it requires a large support group and cannot be accomplished in a short period of time. The [center] group has assembled the tools and the people necessary to examine the problem over a large number of cases and situations. This is a unique opportunity.

In its 5 years, [the center] has assembled a cohesive group of scientists who have made great progress in constructing a set of powerful tools with which to attack the overall goal [of the STC]. The Center has also established an outstanding outreach program in [the center' s subject area].

[The center] has already had a significant positive impact on the research community, mainly through the sharing of the [center's modeling] system. In addition, the active collaboration of [the center's] scientists with other scientists is having a mutually positive impact on the [the center's] program and other programs in collaborating universities and research institutions.

In the area of transfer of knowledge and technology to non-academic sectors, [the center] is making good progress.

[The center] has done an outstanding job in their educational and outreach programs. Projects and collaborations with the Planetarium and Science Museum reach large numbers of students as well as K-12 teachers, and the general public.

I

The director and his colleagues are to be complimented on their progress in the face of the most unfortunate delay in delivery and siting of the [the center's device].

None available.

During the last year the Center has put in place an innovative outreach program

[One] is an outstanding mechanism to introduce children to science.

It is suggested that thought be given to including some mechanism for evaluation of the outreach program.

J

We wish to emphasize that we agree with the previous site visit teams that [the center] has and continues to develop an excellent portfolio of programs.

The previous site visit report recommended that the leadership of [the center] promote more interdisciplinary activities and pay attention to the industrial needs of the country. The site visit team was pleased to find significant progress toward these goals.

The special year on [the center's subject area] delivered what it promised. Its topic is timely and interesting. Industrial support was obtained and productive interactions with new institutions were initiated.

The [center's] education team decided to abandon the high school program in the absence of NSF support. An excellent product may disappear. Going into K-8 education may not be the most strategic use of the center 's expertise.

K

This research is world class in [the center's subject area].

This STC has been proactive and creative in the development of multiple vehicles for transferring knowledge.

[The center] has excelled in knowledge transfer to academia and industry. Indeed, as U.S. industry awakens to the opportunities in [the center 's field], [the center] is prepared to assist them and rapidly serve their research and technology needs.

[The center] has initiated an impressive educational program that spans K-12 to post-graduate education.

The K-12 outreach program is an exemplary program.

More emphasis should be placed on undergraduate summer internships as a mechanism for recruiting [the center's] graduate students. More interaction should be fostered among [the center's] graduate and postdoctoral students.

L

The field of [this center] demands the interdisciplinary approach that can be obtained in an STC, and the Committee believes that this Center is now established as the strongest of all the centrally funded centers [in this specialty]. For example it has had a bigger impact than either the British or the Japanese national centers.

The Center has established preeminence in several critical areas of fundamental research [in the center's specialty]. The themes and projects are well-chosen to build on collaboration between strong research programs of individual PIs, and address issues of central importance.

Actual joint work with industry still represents a small part of the total STCs effort.

Industrial outreach started from a low level in 1992 and has built steadily since.

We were told that only ~20% of the Center graduates during the first 5 years had gone into industry. Those students who had had industrial contacts were strongly positive and wanted more. So far there have been no or almost no industrial internships; these should be developed. In any case it is vital to provide many more opportunities for industrial interactions to the graduate students in the Center.

This Center has added significantly to existing outreach programs at [the center's institution] and has enabled this program to significantly expand its scope and impact. The particularly noteworthy activities have included a summer enrichment program for middle and high school teachers, workshops for women and minority students and an instructional van that provides important hands on laboratory experience for students at all levels of age and experience.

In the center itself, some of the graduate students are particularly attracted to the interactions with the industry [in this field] and these should be further expanded. The student workshops were also universally applauded.

M

The site visit team is convinced that [the center] is without peer in the study of [its specialty]. The [center's] member institutions collectively have developed an extraordinary variety of experimental, analytical, and computational capabilities permitting research on fundamental problems in [its scientific disciplines] that would remain otherwise inaccessible.

In summary, [the center] has developed a distinguished and vigorous program in [its research field] that is unmatched in scope anywhere in the world. While other groups may have comparable capabilities in specialized areas of [the research field], the site visit team concludes that [the center], due to the critical mass of scientists and facilities made possible by STC-style support, is carving a truly unique international niche into the relatively unexplored territory of [scientific] research. Their track record to date and their proposed research program hold great promise for sustained significant scholarly contributions.

From the beginning [the center] established strong linkages to other sectors.

[The center's] facilities and Center-style organization allow it to provide unique services.

Although [the center's] science and technology goals are more suited to providing industry with an expanded base of knowledge rather than immediate applications, [the center] has, nevertheless, developed an extensive set of links to industry.

[This] STC has been successful in its educational programs at all levels.

Perhaps the most outstanding educational success [the center] has had is with their program of summer scholars. For the last two years [the center] has recruited nationally and selected a group of 6-8 undergraduates who are brought to [the university] for a period of ten weeks of intensive research project work with an assigned senior [center] mentor resulting in publication(s). This program has been notably successful in recruiting African-American students through [the center's] special connection at [a neighboring] university.

The Center has initiated a significant effort in the K-12 science education area.

N

The center is formed around the efforts of a group of strong, world-recognized investigators having complementary expertise in [the center's] research [specialty].

[The center] has been particularly successful in providing a multidisciplinary environment where students, postdocs and visitors as well as the PIs can learn each other's languages, exchange ideas and viewpoints, and develop new concepts.

The research is first rate and highly productive, and represents cutting edge approaches to high risk, high payoff objectives. We were all impressed with the strong research interactions between the participants over a range of disciplines.

[The center] has obviously taken the recommendations of the previous site review committee to heart, in that they have made a very conscious and conscientious effort to expand and improve their knowledge transfer with the research sector.

[The center] has developed a large number of linkages to other universities in the US, primarily through collaborative research efforts between individual faculty members of those universities and members (or facilities) of [the center].

[The center] has been especially active in forging links with some of the strongest research groups in [its specialty] in other countries.

[The center] also has a number of significant government laboratory interactions.

There are numerous linkages to industry.

The site review team was extremely impressed with this aspect of [this center]. The commitment of the entire [center] team to this area is obvious and touching.

Several of the [center] programs are primarily directed at improving the science and technology education of students in grades K-12 in the [local] area.

The researchers and the students presented strong arguments that this program has been successful.

The review was impressed by the diverse cross section of students who were represented and by the anecdotal stories of the successes of the students who have participated in the program thus far.

O

The research participants in the [center's] project are outstanding and clearly capable of achieving the goals set forth in the proposal.

The Center has made a consistent effort to build strong ties to the local community and the technical community at large.

[The center] has created a model Education and Outreach program at the K-12 level. At the university level, significant numbers of undergraduates and graduate students have been able to participate directly in the [center's] project.

P

The visiting committee unanimously agreed that the scientific efforts of the Center are of the very highest quality.

These projects provide strong examples of how the Center enhances the scientific impact of NSF funding by creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The unique requirements of [this center's specialty] usually translate into a market that is too small to be of much commercial interest; thus, the [center] might be excused if technology transfer, in the sense of the movement of patented or potentially patentable devices or technology from their university birthplace to some industry where they could be commercially exploited, occupies a minor position in its list of accomplishments. The Center has had some modest successes in this area and has initiated programs that promise more.

The [center] should be commended for its attempts to serve as an educational resource in both the scientific and lay communities. Through [one] program, the [center] has sought to improve the working lives of its members. And through its varied educational “outreach ” programs, the [center] has shared its human capital with amateur [scientists], local schoolchildren, and other groups who would not ordinarily have access to cutting-edge research.

The committee was tremendously impressed with the involvement and commitment of several people in the wide array of [center]-related educational programs, including local speaking engagements, mentoring, internships, and laboratory apprenticeships.

Q

The strengths of the Center include:

• strong cross-disciplinary research projects

• the development of new technology that is driven by the scientific programs

• high quality faculty with funded research programs and bright graduate students.

The STC has followed its declared strategy and set an enviable example in successful academic entrepreneurship for each of its programs, by developing an array of ties with institutions in each of the areas mentioned above. [An industry laboratory] and the STC have initiated negotiations to construct a [device].

It is clear that the educational opportunities associated with the Center are unique and are having a significant impact not only on student recruiting but also on the development of these students into well trained and enthusiastic scientists.

Several outreach programs have also been effectively implemented.

R

The [Center] has established itself as a global leader in the area of [the center's specialty].

The Center has achieved substantial visibility in [its specialty]. The technological developments pioneered within the Center have been enormously influential throughout the community.

The Center has developed numerous linkages to outside sectors. Particularly impressive has been the interaction with industrial concerns. The Center has been involved with several companies in [its state], including spin-offs of the Center in the [local] area, as well as some other U.S. companies outside of [the state] and foreign companies.

The review panel found that the efforts of the [center] in all aspects of education were excellent. Support of graduate education by the [center] has recently been augmented by the additional award of [several] NSF Graduate Traineeships.

The K-12 outreach and science education programs were thought to be well-targeted and much needed.

S

The projects are at different stages of maturity, as expected for a program entering its seventh year. The outstanding track record of STC in its mature projects, as well as in projects from earlier years, provides confidence that good judgment will be used in guiding the newer ones forward.

The STC is a definite leader in [its specialty] field and, as a total program, has very few, if any, peers.

While the research and development work of this STC is in some cases not as unique or advanced compared to the state of the art as it was in the Center's early years, this is in large part attributable to the success of this Center in distributing its ideas and technologies.

The STC has maintained an excellent record of collaborative interactions with industry. These involve not just the PI, but many of the senior people. The companies involved range from very small [firms] to multinationals, and span a considerable geographic range.

The interaction of the STC with the surrounding community goes beyond the missions of the individual scientists doing basic research and development. The numerous educational programs extend into virtually every part of society and place special emphasis on school levels K-12. It was very clear that the members of the department view the evolving outreach program with enthusiasm.

T

The site visit team know of no other group worldwide pursuing this course in such depth as [this center].

Although [the center] has been in operation for a very short time, significant accomplishments have been made in each of [its several] program thrust areas. There are excellent prospects that work in progress will result in significant advances in the near future and that these will result in seminal publications in prestigious scientific journals.

Current research on [activities in a large number of subspecialties] may spread the effort of the team too widely.

The emphasis on multidisciplinary, long-term goals in a Center mode has led to a relatively small number of publications in peer-reviewed publications.

[The center] has developed an innovative mechanism for cooperation and knowledge transfer with industrial corporations. Companies that have a substantial research capability in [the center's specialty] can become associates of [the center].

The value of [the center] as a potential resource has been recognized by companies [working in this center's specialty field].

In summary on the basis of various indicators available to assess quality and effectiveness of similar programs, the site visit team concluded that the outreach and education program had exceeded expectations and has a high potential for continued major accomplishments.

The outreach program to train inexperienced high school students in laboratories may be too time-demanding on researchers for the return to the program.

U

In research, i.e., the development of new principles, new knowledge generation, rigorous theory testing, etc., the record of the [Center] during the last five years is mixed. The quality of individual research projects is uneven and this is true within and among all of the research thrust groups.

While [the center's] activities have contributed to the development of knowledge and techniques for studying [this center's specialty], they have not yet resulted in facilities and/or resources that would be sought out by the national or international research community.

The quality and quantity of knowledge and technology transfer from the [center] to non-academic sectors in the area of [the center' s specialty] is very promising. The relationships which have developed with the state and some industries, though in their early stages, appear to have excellent potential. The hurdles already crossed and the field trials to be done are truly impressive.

The existing linkages of the [center], which fall into several categories, are generally excellent.

One of the brightest aspects of the [center] is its educational program.

The K-12 program involves local, regional, and national efforts. These efforts have had a very positive impact on the scientific literacy of students [in the center's specialty]. It is apparent that the [center] has influenced the curricula for K-12 through training programs for secondary school teachers and students.

The undergraduate educational program has developed strong linkages with the faculty and students from [several] campuses of [a university with primarily minority students].

The graduate education program is of high quality, broad in perspective, encourages multidisciplinary interaction and appears to be well integrated with the Ph.D. programs of participating departments.

V

[One specialty] is successful in bringing new thoughts towards achieving the objectives for the STC. The exceptional number of publications and presentations is a clear manifestation of this success. The principle investigators are presenting their work on the correct venues throughout the world, and they thoughtfully have chosen the proper journals to publish their work. The quality of the individual research plans and the uniqueness of this STC's research contributions are well recognized.

It is the opinion of the site-visit team that the STC has created a unique research theme and environment within communities. The uniqueness arises from the successful joining of [scientists] and engineers in [conducting experiments in the center's specialty].

The impact of research contributions in the areas of [the center's specialty] has been very strong, with the principal investigators establishing both an outstanding record of scholarly work and a high degree of credibility in the industrial world.

The overall quality of publications is very good, with a significant number of publications being outstanding contributions to the literature.

The STC has done an exemplary job in the area of knowledge transfer. In the course of its research is has interacted with [many] industrial organizations in addition to several federal laboratories, research institutes, and universities. This intensity of interaction is well in excess of what one might expect from a university research gram; however, it is well in tune with the defined mission of a STC. This degree of industrial interaction may provoke concern about damage to the main mission of the university, namely, the production of well educated graduates. However, this STC appears to have reached a good balance between education and the potential constraints imposed by more targeted research. In fact, the quality of the graduates has been enhanced from an industrial point of view.

Discussions with a representative group of external advisory board members indicate that the technology transfer to industry is highly regarded and that programs reaching this stage of completion have been relevant to the needs of the industrial partners.

Graduate education stresses genuine interdisciplinary exchange, a point well documented by the graduate students currently in the program. They know of each other's work; they learn from each other; they feel privileged to be part of the program. Communication skills are stressed throughout their career, more so than most institu tions. The site-visit team believes the STC is preparing students well for their future.

W

The utility of these tools for research is attested to by a substantial number of books and publications in leading [scientific] journals [in the center's specialty] based on work stimulated by these tools and, more generally, work done at the Center. Nevertheless, viewed merely as an investment, the Center has not yet paid off as well as we might have liked.

By the time of the next visit the Center should be able to distinguish between results achieved mainly at the Center and results obtained outside of the Center proper but using tools developed at the Center.

This should hardly need saying, but let us also note that [Center activities] tend to be too specialized for commercial sales. Indeed, any attempt at commercialization, even though it would bring in small revenue, would hinder the main mission of getting the tools widely used in the [its scientific] community.

As has been reflected consistently in previous site visit reports, the educational programs, particularly on the K-12 levels, show early signs of being highly effective.

In the university context, the Center's vision for educational outreach and the incorporation of [its scientific specialty] is tremendously exciting and highly ambitious.

X

The quality of the individual Center research participants is excellent.

The productivity of the participants as gauged by publications in high-quality journals is excellent. Many of these evidence strong and growing multiinvestigators, multidisciplinary, and multiinstitutional interactions—a crucial aspect of STC research. Despite the high scientific merit of the research accomplished to date, the influence of the private sector on this effort has only been modest, and it is fair to say that the results to date are unlikely to have any major impact [related to the center].

Several linkages and collaborations with external laboratories have been established, and others will be in place in the near future.

In general, closer ties and more collaborations with industry are needed. Many aspects of the STC could benefit from improved “industrial outreach.” We applaud the Center for what they have accomplished in this arena so far, but feel that additional effort should be expended along these lines.

The Center has met its primary goals with regard to graduate education.

After an initial slow start, the Center has made impressive progress in putting in place effective and sustainable programs to reach outside the local university community.

The Center has done a particularly impressive job of establishing summer programs for middle and high school students.

The Center is making satisfactory progress toward establishing effective and sustainable programs to reach outside the university community and to encourage underrepresented minorities to enter science and engineering fields.

Y

The Site Visit Committee was uniformly impressed with the consistently high quality of the research projects that form the main focus of the [Center].

It is clear that the STC has already matured into a world-class force in this area, with an array of distinct and interrelated projects presently ongoing that collectively form a basis for future advances in the [center's specialty].

Both the quantity and quality of the research accomplishments throughout the Center are extremely good to truly outstanding. Some of the ongoing projects have counterparts in other institutions. However, the uniqueness of the research contributions of the Center derives from the consistent synergy demonstrated between the academic and industrial collaborators at the individual project, thrust group, and overall Center levels.

The [center] is a unique enterprise because of the shared scientific interest of [several] partners and the special opportunities for interaction and sharing of resources made possible by their proximity. The establishment and nurturing of [the center] has been an earnest and dedicated effort on the part of the [center's partners].

A number of Center educational accomplishments are noteworthy; the contributions of the industrial PIs as teachers and mentors for graduate students and postdocs; the enriching role of visiting scientists in the Center; effective programs for high school and college teachers; and the first-class annual symposia sponsored by the Center. The philosophy of the education and outreach programs—to use basic research as a teaching environment—serves everyone well.